Cape festival planners announce musical lineup

With two weeks left until the City of Roses Music Festival hits downtown Cape Girardeau on Sept. 23 and 24, the music lineup has been finalized for the festival's four stages.

This year, the ninth for the festival, will feature stages on Water Street at the corners of Broadway, Independence Street and Themis Street and another stage at the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo.

Local bars have been booking their own acts to fill venues and some have yet to confirm who will play.

Daryn Brooks is coordinating the booking along with Kirby Ray and Bruce Zimmerman. Brooks, Ray and Zimmerman have had to be more selective when booking bands this year, said Brooks.

Those booking this year's talent have been more stringent in their standards, trying to pick bands that will entertain but not cause a ruckus.

In the past, said festival chairman Don Ganim, some bands have displayed behavior disrespectful to both audiences and festival volunteers. Organizers are hoping to avoid such problems this year, making the festival atmosphere more friendly to families while still rocking.

"Is it a family event? Yes and no," said Ganim. "We don't want families to be offended if they go."

Ganim still wants fans to know the festival is a music festival, and rock bands won't be muzzled.

Bars have the freedom to book their own bands, establish their own standards and charge their own covers this year. A list of bands playing at local bars will be available soon.

But rock music won't be the only genre featured at this year's City of Roses. Last year organizers tried to expand the musical offerings, and this year more emphasis has been placed on variety.

Brooks said more bluegrass acts have been booked, such as the JJMC Folkgrass Project. Hip-hop acts have been booked like The Church Boys.

A classical guitar performance by the Southeast Missouri State University guitar ensemble will be featured at the gazebo the first night of the festival in a prime time slot, 9 p.m., while the school's Jazz Ensemble will play at 8 p.m. Friday at the Themis Street stage.

The variety in booking is part of a forward-looking perspective on the part of the organizers.

"The way things will hopefully go in the future, more bands of varying genres will be wanting to play because we'll be drawing a more diverse crowd," said Brooks. He said next year there will likely be some country bands playing the festival, too.

Setbacks have made organization difficult this year. The festival's first chair resigned from the position in July, and organizers have been working frantically to make the City of Roses the best festival possible this year.

"For where we started, this thing has come together pretty quick," said Brooks.

Organizers haven't just had to book musical talent, they've also put an increased emphasis on arts and food vendors to enhance the festival atmosphere.

Non-music events, like the Burritoville Burrito Eating Contest finals on Saturday and a sidewalk art event also add variety and enhance the festival atmosphere. There will also be a showcase of short films Saturday night at Jeremiah's from 5 to 8 p.m. with the Cape Filmmakers Cooperative.

Ganim said the music is still the main focus of the festival, though.

"We're just trying to keep the festival a little bit more open-minded than just rock and roll," Ganim said.

Those changes may increase in following years, as a new focus is placed on the festival. People like Brooks, Ganim and Mary Ramsey have ideas for the festival's future.

At the same time, the members of the City of Roses Music Heritage Association hope to pass the festival off to new blood. The association has organized the festival since it was started by Bob Camp. Dennis "Doc" Cain and Don Greenwood are the only two of the old guard still involved.

Cain said the money in the festival coffers will be used to fully fund at least one scholarship to Southeast and hopefully two this year.

"We're trying to preserve those funds for the mission the festival was originally intended for," said Cain.

At the time of its inception, the festival was seen as a way to raise money for scholarships. Two scholarships will hopefully be endowed in the names of Homer Gilbert and William Shivelbine this year, said Cain.

A total of $10,000 is required to endow a scholarship at Southeast. Cain wouldn't say how much money is in the fund but said there would be enough seed money left to have a festival next year.

"We have given some but not a lot," said Cain. "We were trying to build up the coffers so we were solid and could possibly take a rain-out year."

The rain-out occurred two years ago when Christopher Cross headlined a cold, rain-soaked festival. That year money was lost, said Cain, but was built up again last year.

Brooks, at least, is ready to do his part to help the transition, saying he's ready to begin work on next year's planning right after this year's festival.

Ganim talks about realizing the potential of the City of Roses festival.

"I'm just trying to bring the festival up to how it could have been," he said.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182